Lexical Summary madduach: Scattering, dispersal Original Word: מַדּוּחַ Strong's Exhaustive Concordance cause of banishment From nadach; seduction -- cause of banishment. see HEBREW nadach NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom nadach Definition something which draws aside, an enticement NASB Translation misleading oracles (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [מַדּוּחַ] noun [masculine] a thing to draw aside, enticement (compare √ Hiph`il 3, 4); — plural מַדּוּחִם Lamentations 2:14, ׳וִיֶּחֱזוּ לָךְ מַשְֿׂאוֺת שָׁוְא וּמ (compare "" שָׁוְא וְתָפֵל va). Topical Lexicon Entry Heading: madduach (Strong’s Hebrew 4065)Biblical Occurrence Lamentations 2:14 contains the sole appearance of the word. In that verse the Berean Standard Bible renders the term within this statement: “The oracles they saw for you were empty and misleading.” The noun stands parallel to “empty” (shav) and describes a falsifying message that lures hearers into complacency rather than repentance. Historical Context Lamentations laments the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylon in 586 BC. Jeremiah, traditionally credited with the book, contrasts his own Spirit-borne warnings with the “visions” of court prophets who flattered the nation. Their deceptive pronouncements—madduach—masked Judah’s moral rot, contributing to the city’s downfall. Thus the word is bound to the climactic judgment of the covenant curse announced in Deuteronomy 28 and realized in 2 Kings 25. Semantic Nuance and Related Concepts Madduach carries the idea of a seductive burden or oracle that pushes an audience off the true path. It resonates with the imagery of: Together these passages form a biblical theology of deception, where language becomes an instrument of exile rather than edification. Theological Significance 1. Prophetic Integrity: Genuine revelation unmasks sin so that grace may heal it (Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9). Madduach illustrates the opposite—messages crafted to soothe consciences while sin festers. Christological Perspective Jesus confronts similar falsity in Matthew 23:27-28, exposing leaders whose external piety camouflaged inward corruption. By contrast, His own words are “spirit and life” (John 6:63). Madduach therefore foreshadows the tension between deceptive religion and the truth incarnate in Christ. Ministry Applications • Preaching: Faithful exposition must expose sin in order to announce redemption (Acts 20:27). Ministries that traffic in optimism detached from repentance risk repeating the error of madduach. Homiletical Insights A sermon on Lamentations 2:14 may trace three movements: 1. The seduction of false peace. Such preaching aligns with Paul’s charge to Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction” (2 Timothy 4:2). Practical Reflection Questions 1. Do my favorite teachers faithfully expose sin, or do they offer spiritual anesthesia? Summary Madduach encapsulates the peril of comforting lies. Its lone appearance in Scripture stands as a perpetual warning: when God’s people prefer soothing illusions over uncomfortable truth, disaster follows. Conversely, embracing prophetic honesty prepares the way for the covenant mercies displayed fully in Jesus Christ. Forms and Transliterations וּמַדּוּחִֽים׃ ומדוחים׃ ū·mad·dū·ḥîm umadduChim ūmaddūḥîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Lamentations 2:14 HEB: מַשְׂא֥וֹת שָׁ֖וְא וּמַדּוּחִֽים׃ ס NAS: for you FALSE and misleading oracles. KJV: burdens and causes of banishment. INT: burdens false. and misleading 1 Occurrence |
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